Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I support the call made by Senator Darragh O'Brien for a change to the Order of Business. It is regrettable that at such an early stage in the Government's life it should take this House for granted. There is an opportunity for Members of the House to stand together to show its independence of the Executive. Any Bill, particularly one dealing with the Department of Finance, given its failures in the past decade, should be subject to the most careful consideration and scrutiny in this House. Ramming through all sections of a Bill on one day is something of which the Government parties when in opposition were rightly critical and opposed. I would like to think there will be some consistency in that regard. The failure not to do this today will set a precedent which, unfortunately, will tarnish this House. This is not the first time in this session that the Government has chosen to do this and it can only be to facilitate a Minister's diary. Yesterday I listened carefully to the Leader say there was a desire for the Bill to be signed next week. Second Stage could be taken today, followed by Committee and Remaining Stages tomorrow afternoon, which means the Bill could be returned to the Dáil on Tuesday and signed into law on Wednesday. It is not a pressing matter that has to be dealt with in this fashion. It is obviously being done to facilitate diaries, with which I disagree.

I support the call made yesterday by Senator Tom Sheahan for the Minister to come into the House to discuss the possibility of introducing pricing orders in respect of professional fees. The Senator raised interesting points and could have gone further by referring not only to the amounts paid by the State to GPs under the general medical card scheme but also the various announcements by VHI which, in some instances, has paid up to €1 million to hospital consultants. It brings into focus the abuse of privilege in our system. It is welcome that the Minister did tackle the issue of excessive pay levels within parts of the public and private sectors.